The situation of plums in Hungary: declining production areas and challenges in the processing industry

By: Trademagazin Date: 2024. 09. 13. 11:22

The plum, which is a popular fruit worldwide, also has a significant history in Hungary. In recent years, however, the decrease in domestic cropland and fluctuating crop yields have posed a serious challenge to farmers. Although in 2023, despite the extreme weather, plums of good quality and an adequate quantity were harvested, the lack of demand in the domestic processing industry further complicates the situation of the sector, the Agrárszektor points out.

The world’s largest producer of plums is still China, which harvested nearly 7 million tons of fruit in 2023. In Europe, Romania and Serbia are prominent actors, with a crop yield of half a million tons registered in both countries. Plum cultivation accounts for 45 percent of fruit production in Romania. Plums are also produced in significant quantities in other countries of the European Union, such as Spain, Italy and France.

In terms of exports, it is also worth mentioning Moldova, which exported nearly 85,000 tons of plums in 2023, 73 percent of which went to the markets of the European Union. Romania was the largest importer, with 17,000 tons, while Poland and Germany also bought significant quantities.

In Hungary, 5,776 hectares of plums were grown in 2023, which shows a smaller decrease compared to last year. In the past decade, the size of the plum-growing areas has continuously decreased, ten years ago the area was estimated at 8,000 hectares. Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg county has the largest production area, where the fruit is grown on 1,654 hectares. This is followed by Bács-Kiskun and Pest counties, where more than 60 percent of domestic plum-growing areas are located.